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UPA Government : In consolidation mode

	September 20, 2004

The UPA government has been struggling on the issue of governance. It does not give the impression of being in control. There are pressures from within and the status of the Prime Minister himself is a question mark. Both these issues were addressed last week in some measure.



Congress-Left sort out differences

The Left has had grievances with the Government right from the beginning and it was obvious that relations with the Government needed to be quickly sorted out. This happened on September 18 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had lunch with CPI(M) general secretary Harkishan Singh Surjeet and former West Bengal Chief Minister Jyoti Basu.

Dr. Singh assured the two CPI (M) leaders that most of the “Left’s concerns” over the implementation of the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) would be taken care of in the next few weeks. “In the pipeline” were initiatives like the employment guarantee scheme, the food-for-work scheme and the rural infrastructure projects.

The lunch did not get into the unpleasant business of the Left’s differences with the government on its economic policy. Issues like the Left’s opposition to foreign direct investment (FDI) increase in the telecom sector and the inclusion World Bank experts in the Planning Commission would be discussed at the next UPA-Left Front meeting slated to be held at the end of the month.



Cabinet decides to repeal POTA

In another development the government asserted itself and started implementing the promises it made to the people in its

Common Minimum Programme. With eyes set clearly on the forthcoming Assembly and parliamentary byelections and the need to woo the minorities, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government decided on Sept 17 to repeal the controversial anti-terror law, Prevention Of Terrorism Act (POTA) which had become most controversial after reports of its misuse against political opponents.

The Union Cabinet approved a draft ordinance repealing the stringent Act, almost a month ahead of it lapsing automatically. The draft of the Ordinance, by which the POTA will be abolished in keeping with the UPA government’s Common Minimum Programme, had been cleared by the Law Ministry and was presented before the Union cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The Government will be providing a sunset period of one year during which all the cases pertaining to POTA would be reviewed by various committees. There would be no arrests made after the Ordinance is promulgated.

The Ordinance incorporates certain provisions required to deal with various aspects of global terrorism, in the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, through amendments.

The amended Act defines the word “terrorist” and is likely to extend the penalty up to capital punishment for anti-national activities. The amended Act also takes care of India’s global obligations and all foreign militant outfits like Al-Qaeda are likely to be banned under it. The minority community in India has been sharply critical of POTA provisions. In States like Gujarat and Maharashtra, the number of detenus had a majority of Muslims.

The BJP reacted sharply and instructed its Chief Ministers to enact there own anti terrorist legislations. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was the first to make it clear that his government has decided to make a law to check organised crime and terrorist activities on the lines of Maharashtra’s MCOCA. “We are in the process of enacting Gujarat Control of Organised Crimes Act (GUJCOC)...,” Modi has flayed the Centre’s decision to repeal the POTA. He said that a Bill on the lines of MCOCA was already prepared by his government and referred to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who had given some suggestions on the draft law.

In Gwalior, expressing identical views, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Babulal Gaur said his government too would make laws similar to the POTA.

Reacting to Modi’s statement, Union Law Minister H.R. Bharadwaj said Narendra Modi, “who is always famous, will become more famous” if his government enacts a “draconian” law following the repeal of the POTA. Bharadwaj said he could not do anything if the Gujarat Chief Minister wanted to bring in such a draconian law. Asked what would be the Centre’s stand if BJP-ruled States enact separate anti-terror laws, Bharadwaj said: “We cannot oppose the Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States on the issue.” The BJP has made the POTA a prestige issue. It may be recalled that it had called a joint session of Parliament to get the POTA Bill passed.



PM’s interview with RSS journal

At another level, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made his mark in an unconventional manner. At a time when many newspapars had been seeking to talk with him, he gave an interview to Rashtriya Swavamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece Panchjanya to speak his mind. This has raised eyebrows in government and Congress circles. The RSS however, was rather soft and did not rake up any controversial issues and observers felt it was a clever move by the PM to reach out to the Hindutva (Hindu activism) lobby.

He regretted that Parliament was not allowed to function despite “decent” leaders like A.B. Vajpayee and L.K. Advani being on the other side. Asserting that he was unperturbed by the “foul language” used against him, Manmohan Singh said he was more concerned about tackling issues like inflation and corruption and speeding up economic and administrative reforms.

Observing that he did not view the Opposition as an “enemy”, he said the Opposition also should not consider that attacking the ruling parties on every issue is its main task. “I believe that the main task of politics is addressing the country’s problems and not to level allegations against each others,” Singh said. “My worry is that inflation and corruption should end, economic and administrative reforms should be speeded up.”

Some Congress leaders are feeling acutely embarrassed by the fact that the Prime Minister’s first interview has gone to a RSS journal, particularly in view of Human Resource Development Minister Arjun Singh’s earlier plea that the administration be “cleansed” of all RSS sympathisers. Others fear that the Sangh Parivar (RSS family) will try to derive political advantage from this, and “confuse people” on the eve of the Maharashtra Assembly polls.

The interviewer, Tarun Vijay, said he was impressed by the Prime Minister’s “soft nature” and his “honesty and transparency” even on controversial issues. Vijay also said that it was difficult to criticise Dr Singh mainly because he speaks less and knows the importance of the use of “cultured language.”

Manmohan Singh’s comment at his first conference that he was against “fundamentalism of both the Left and the Right” has already annoyed the Left which feels that equating Left and RSS historians only fulfils the Sangh Parivar’s agenda.



Probe into NDA Government’s plot “scam”

Maintaining its tempo against the opposition, and in a move that could provoke the former ruling alliance (NDA) government, the UPA government has ordered a probe into “cases of allotment of land made by the Land and Development office since 1998-99” to organisations reportedly linked to the RSS. The Ministry of Urban Development, in its order, appointed a one-man committee, headed by retired IAS officer Yogesh Chandra, to “inquire into the matter and review all cases of allotment made to various social, cultural, religious, educational institutions since 1998-99.” The committee has been told to submit its report within two months.

In August 2002, the media obtained records of the Land and Development Office from the Urban Development Ministry for the years 1996-2002. Of the 209 allotments, 115 had gone to Government departments. Of the remaining 94 - educational, cultural, religious and political institutions - a huge chunk had allegedly gone to Sangh affiliates or those with BJP links. These included:

* Samarth Siksha Samiti

* Vishwa Hindu Parishad

* Vaish Aggarwal Education Society

* Agroha Vikas Trust

* Students Experience in Inter-State Living

In some cases, the allotments were made after demolishing buildings. Many allottees have not taken possession, and construction activity has not begun, indicating speculative gains as the motive. Sources said no transparent procedure was followed in allotment of land and in some cases one RSS-backed organisation was allegedly given six plots, while another headed by a former Union Minister of the BJP was given five.